New service chiefs in closed-door meeting with predecessors

Some of the new service chiefs on Tuesday started the process of taking over the leadership of the nation’s military.

Investigations on Tuesday revealed that the new Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin, and two of the new service chiefs, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar, were at the Defence Headquarters to take the requisite briefing from their outgoing counterparts.

It was learnt that the new service chiefs held discreet meetings with their predecessors.

It was gathered that the new Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen Turkur Buratai, was still being expected from his base at the Headquarters of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, Ndjamena, the Chadian capital.

It was stated that Buratai was most likely to return to the country later on Tuesday.

It was learnt that the service chiefs commenced what was described a rigorous process of taking over from their predecessors at the Defence Headquarters and the headquarters of the various services early on Tuesday.

A source who confided in our correspondent said that the handing over process was a tasking and elaborate process which involved an outgoing service chiefs and incoming ones.

It was further stated that the process involved all the formations and commands within a particular service, welfare, logistics, the state of equipment, personnel and finances and others.

The source stated further that only the Chiefs of Finance and Administration of the particular service could be called in some cases to make clarification because of the sensitive nature of finance.

It was further learnt that it was after the holistic briefing and handing over between the two top officers that a ceremonial one involving the media would be called very soon.

The source said, “Everything is okay at the Defence Headquarters; things are normal in all the services. Of course, that is expected.

“People are just doing their job even though the appointment of the new service chiefs came as a relief.

“It only brought to an end talks about impending removal of service chiefs. Nobody is sad and it was expected. People have to move on.

“All the new chiefs are here except the Chief of Army Staff who is still outside the country in Chad.

“They are here for the discrete and rigorous process of taking over the DHQ and the services from their predecessors.

“This process is a long one involving a chief and the outgoing one. It is a one-on-one meeting which involves every aspect of the service, such as personnel, welfare, equipment logistics, funds and the formations.

“This is a meeting strictly meeting between them. In some cases, the Chief of Finance and Administration could come in because of the sensitive nature of finance.

“It is after this that the ceremonious handing over process which involves the media would take place